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Tony Vergnetti hosts a roundtable discussion of the Public Employees Roundtable and Public Service Recognition Week. April 25, 2014
Misconduct isn't a disqualifier for bonuses and extra time off, at least at the IRS. More than 1,100 employees at the agency, who either didn't pay their taxes or under reported on them, still received more than $1 million in bonuses. This is from an inspector general's report that revealed even larger problems. Tom Shoop, editor in chief at Government Executive magazine, joins In Depth with Francis Rose to talk about this latest self-inflicted image problem for federal employees.
Absorbing $900 million in budget cuts has created some problems for the IRS, including major staffing reductions and uneven performance. The Government Accountability Office says the agency's budget request of $12.5 billion for fiscal year 2015 is a step in the right direction. Jay McTigue, director of strategic issues for the GAO, tells In Depth with Francis Rose $12.5 billion won't fix what ails the IRS.
Dale Meyerrose, president of the Meyerrose Group, and Greg Garcia, principal at Garcia Cyber Partners, counted down the week's top stories with Francis Rose on Federal News Countdown.
The Internal Revenue Service's Inspector General says IRS employees who owe taxes collected more than $1 million in bonus money. And a couple other headlines this week included stories of misconduct or misbehavior by federal employees. Federal News Radio Senior Correspondent Mike Causey writes in his column today that you can look at these stories three different ways, as an optimist, a pessimist or a realist.
There's no doubt federal employees would like a pay raise in 2015. But whether they will get it and how much it will be worth is still up for debate. Federal News Radio Web Manager Julia Ziegler told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp what feds had to say.
The government is on high alert for insider threats. From shootings on military base to cybersecurity leaks, it may seem like your officemate could turn into your agency's worst nightmare. Agencies struggle with appropriate ways to migrate threats. Mike Gelles, a former chief psychologist for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and now with Deloitte, talked about the threats with Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.
For the first time in seven years, government leaders expect agencies to meet a major contracting goal. They awarded 23 percent of all prime contracts to small firms last year. But some in the contracting community see warning signs that signal bigger problems. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp why some want to rain on the small business success parade. Read Federal News Radio's related article.
The Commerce Department's International Trade Administration will open an office in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The country's economy, once virtually closed, is now growing at more than 6.5 percent a year. The decision to open an office is part of an effort to help U.S. businesses navigate emerging markets in Asia and Africa. Holly Vineyard, deputy assistant secretary for Asia at the International Trade Administration, explained to Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp why Commerce picked Myanmar for the first new office.
The Army breaks ground Friday on a giant solar array at sunny Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Once built, it will provide about a quarter of the energy needed to power the mid-sized base. It will be the largest solar project in the military's portfolio for a while. Amanda Simpson, executive director for the U.S. Army's Energy Initiatives Task Force, described the scope of the project to Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.
So you don't think the federal bureaucracy is so creative? A new analysis of the latest Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey shows innovation in government is on the wane. Just one-third of federal employees say their agencies reward outside-the-box thinking. The Partnership for Public Service and its partners in the analysis find some bright spots, however. At the top is NASA. Author Rod Pyle has written a new book on the agency, called Innovation the NASA Way. He told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp about his book.